Ladakh Bizarre Facts

WINTER TREK PACKAGE

Package Code: l017

Duration: 07 DAYS / 06 NIGHTS (02 - 03 days of trekking)

BEST TIME: JANUARY AND FEBRUARY

ACCOMMODATION: 06 NIGHTS AT HOTELMinimum People Required: TWOLevel of Endurance: HIGH

Itinerary:

Day 01: Arrival Leh
The flight to Leh, the capital city of Ladakh, takes you over the Greater Himalaya and makes an exciting landing at one of the highest airports in the world. One can hope to get excellent views of Stok Kangri as one flies-in and on a clear day the great peaks of the Karakoram are visible to the north. You would be met at the airport by a Nomadier representative and taken to your hotel. The remainder of the day is for you to rest. Leh is at an altitude of nearly 11,000 ft., and you can expect to feel the effects of the rarefied atmosphere. For the first few hours, you may experience a little breathlessness and perhaps a slight headache. These symptoms of altitude sickness are mild and usually disappear quite quickly; however, everyone is advised to take it easy for the first day at least. Press-ups and hill sprints are definitely taboo! Overnight stay at a hotel in Leh.

Day 02: Leh Sightseeing
Morning at leisure or explore nearby places on foot. Post-lunch visit the Shanti Stupa, Leh Palace, Jokhang and Local Bazaar. Overnight stay would be at a hotel in Leh.

Shanti Stupa (Japanese Peace Pagoda)

The Shanti Stupa or Japanese Peace Pagoda was built by a Japanese religious organization led by Head Monk - Nakamura with help from the locals. It is beautifully situated on a hill top in Cahngspa Village and provides a bird's eye view of the entire Leh town and surrounding mountain peaks. With small clean rooms on the side for meditation and a main Japanese shrine at the entrance, its architecture bears the mark of Japan.

Leh Palace
The Namgyal Tsemo (Victory Peak) was built by King Tashi Namgyal after the reunification of Upper and Lower Ladakh and victory over Hor whose dead warriors were placed under an image of Mahakala, the guardian deity, to stop further invasions from Hor. The Leh Palace also known as 'Lechen Palkhar' was built by Singay Namgyal around the beginning of the 17th century A.D. The nine-storied palace is now deserted and the ASI (Archeological Survey of India) is renovating it. It is open to public and offers spectacular views of Leh and surrounding mountains.

Jokhang
The Ladakh Buddhist Association, in 1957, built the small Gompa known as Jokhang in the main bazaar, which is open throughout the day for visitors. The Gompa contains a statue of Joyo Rinpoche (crowned Buddha).

Day 03: Monastery Tour and Village Walk
Start early in the morning and drive to Thiskey to see the morning prayers in the monastery. After a picnic breakfast at the riverside, drive to the Hemis Gompa and visit the monastery and museum. After visiting the monastery, drive to Matho for a picnic lunch and then drive back to Leh for overnight stay at hotel. For the more adventurous, there is an optional 1.5 mile / 1 hr hike to the Gotsang Gompa. The trail to Gotsang is fascinating as it hugs a babbling stream that glows sparkling bright in the afternoon sun.

Thiskey Gompa
The Thiksey Gompa belongs to the Yellow Hat (Gelupga) sect of Buddhism and is noted for its resemblance to the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet. This 12-storey complex is also the largest Gompa in Ladakh and houses a 49 ft. high statue of Maitreya which itself covers two storeys of the building. 19 km away from Leh and spectacularly sited, Thiksey has several temples in the Gompa containing vivid imagery, multiple stupas and exquisite wall paintings of Buddha.

Hemis Gompa
40 km away from Leh, Hemis is the wealthiest, most known and biggest Gompa in Ladakh. Its popularity stems from a major annual festival held here in summers. This festival is celebrated in honor of Guru Padma Sambhava’s birth anniversary. Hemis Gompa has among its wonders, the largest Thanka in Ladakh which is unfurled only once in every 12 years. The Gompa was built in 1630 AD during the reign of Singay Namgyal and flourished under the Namgyal Dynasty for the royalty favored the Drugpa sect which managed the monastery. It is divided into two sections, the assembly hall on the right and the main temple, known as Tshogkhang, on the left. The hall (Dukhang) is also used as the “Green Room” by dancers during the festival. The verandahs have a surfeit of frescoes among them the Buddhist ‘Wheel of Life’ (Kalachakra) and the lords of the four quarters besides the prayer wheel.

Day 04: Day Trekking in Hemis National Park
After breakfast in the morning drive towards Hemis National Park up to Zinchen which is the last point for vehicles. Here, you will start your walk inside the National Park and get back to Zinchen by evening. Drive back to Leh for dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

Hemis National Park
The Hemis National Park is located around 40 km southeast of Leh and takes its name from the world famous Buddhist Gompa situated here. It is situated on the bank of river Indus and includes the catchments areas of Markha, Sumdah, and Rumbak streams. Hemis National Park is a high altitude protected area created in 1981 in the eastern part of the cold desert of Ladakh for the conservation and protection of its unique flora and fauna. It covers an area of 600 sq. km in the Markha and Rumbak valleys. The terrain surrounding the park is rocky and the thin soil cover supports a poor vegetative growth. Dry alpine pastures are present in sheltered locations and the grass growth is relatively rapid during the summer season after the snow melts away from the region. You can also see many rare and endangered animal species like the Snow Leopard, Tibetan Wild Ass or Kiang, Ibex, Serow, Tibetan Antelope, Snow Partridge and Golden Oriole.

Day 05: Day Trek
After breakfast you will drive towards Stakmo Village, a 22 km drive to your trek’s starting point. From here you will walk inside the valley for about 3 – 4 hrs and come back to the same point for the pick up. Drive back to Leh for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 06: Excursion to Pangong Lake

Leave in the morning after breakfast to Pangong Lake on the Indo-China border with the route taking you past the picturesque villages of Shey and Thiksey, and turning off the Indus valley by the side valley of Chemrey and Sakti. The Ladakh range is crossed through Chang-la Pass (18,000 ft.), which despite its great elevation is one of the easier passes, remaining open for much of the year, even in winter, apart from periods of acute snowfall. Drive back to Leh for overnight stay at a hotel.

The Pangong Lake

The Pangong Lake, situated at 14,000 ft. is a long narrow basin of inland drainage, nearly 6-7 km at its widest point. Visitors are permitted to only around 7 km along the southern shore from the head of the lake as part of Pangong lies in China. Standing there offers stunning views of the mountains of the Changchenmo range to the north, their reflection shimmering in the ever-changing blues and greens of the lake's brackish water. Also visible above Spangmik are the glacier and snow-capped peaks of the Pangong range.

Day 07: Departure to Airport

Nomadier provides assistance in your transfer to the Airport and wishes you goodbye.